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Ecolibrium3 (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
Older adults faced barriers to gardening and social activities at a former urban college farm due to limited accessibility. Ecolibrium3 addressed this by building four raised beds with adaptive tools and hosting art and storytelling workshops that brought residents together. Advisory meetings informed plans for ADA-friendly features like shade structures and pathways. The project strengthened intergenerational connections and set the stage for a fully inclusive farm that promotes mobility, health and community engagement.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Jackson, MI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Older adults in Jackson lacked accessible ways to learn about healthy eating and gardening, leaving many disconnected from fresh food options. Grow Jackson responded by creating a garden program at a local community center, offering classes on nutrition, gardening and food saving. Participants gained hands-on experience with plants and shared knowledge in a welcoming space. The effort strengthened social ties and sparked plans for expanded programming next summer, ensuring continued engagement and healthier habits.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Davis, WV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: An unused section of campus offered no space for growing food or community engagement. The project transformed it into a garden with 20 raised beds and four accessible benches, successfully producing potatoes and garlic on land once used for coal mining. The garden is now a permanent feature supporting education and local agriculture, with plans to expand crops for families and the food bank. "It was incredible to see our potato harvest just a few months after planting," one participant said.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Stone Mountain, GA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Immigrant and refugee growers in Stone Mountain needed better resources and infrastructure to farm collectively. The grant funded upgrades at two sites-Indian Creek MARTA Station Farm and North Dekalb Mall Garden-adding land improvements, garden tools, seed bins and picnic tables. These enhancements created safer, more functional spaces for older adults and strengthened community engagement. Both gardens are now part of long-term plans, including a partnership with Atlanta's transit authority and integration into a major mixed-use redevelopment. This helps position growers to sell produce locally and sustain food access.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Duluth, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Older adults in Duluth faced barriers to healthy food and social connection, especially in neighborhoods with few events and limited transit. To address this, the organization expanded its farmers markets by adding social zones with tables, games and art supplies, and completed two murals in areas lacking public art. Staff also took anti-age discrimination training and recruited older volunteers to lead activities. The project deepened engagement, improved food access and brightened community spaces. One visitor said, "The murals completely change the feeling of the park... really livens it up and matches the energy of the markets better."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Duluth, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: This project engaged teams of participants to design solutions that will make the city more age-friendly, with a focus on areas such as housing, transportation and more.
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